A visit with Sarah McCoy of 'The Baker's Daughter'

2:18 PM

We stopped by One More Page Books last night in Arlington, Va., to catch up with author Sarah McCoy, who is on tour in support of her second novel, The Baker's Daughter (Crown, $23).

McCoy (full disclosure: she's this reporter's close friend and college roommate!) was thrilled to welcome readers and chat up the book, which tells the stories of two women: Elsie, an elderly German baker, and Reba, a reporter. They're from two different generations and backgrounds and meet in present-day El Paso when Reba's latest assignment brings her to Elsie's bakery, and she begins to uncover the baker's dark past. Dual storylines alternate between the Tex-Mex border and Nazi Germany at the end of World War II. "It's about bravery and courage and loyalty," McCoy told the packed house before reading an excerpt from the book. "Paying attention to what's going on in your community and being vigilant."

McCoy, who lives with her husband in El Paso, says the inspiration for the book came back in 2007 while visiting a local farmer's market. "There was a German woman there, and she was selling German baked bread," says McCoy. "I asked her how she came to be in El Paso, which is pretty darn far from Germany, and she said, 'I married an American soldier, and moved here after the war.' Those were the only words she said to me, and honestly, it was like something came down and struck me in the head. I couldn't stop thinking about her."

Tonight, McCoy will make an appearance at Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Va., before moving on to stops in Philadelphia, Tucson, Denver and Nashville. Read more about the author here.

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